The Archives of Ontario is a rich source for family history. You can find records of birth, marriage, death, and divorce, land records, and estate files, but that’s just scratching the surface. There is only a handful of records that are indexed by name online. The rest must be found using online and on-site finding aids. This presentation will help you understand how archival records are organized and “described” and demonstrate how you can get the most from the AO’s Archive Descriptive Database. There will be “insider” tips for both new and seasoned researchers–and many techniques will be applicable to any modern archives.

Mini-presentation: Irena Lewycka and Dawn Connolly: Self-Publish your Family History or Memoirs at the Toronto Reference Library using Asquith Press Book Printing ServiceLearn about Toronto Reference Library’s new book printing service that lets you design and print bookstore quality paperback books.
Self-publish your own family history, memoir, cookbook, novel or journal (colour cover and black & white pages) at the library with Asquith Press.

Speaker: Marian Press: Putting Your Family Tree Online: What Choice Should You Make? There are now many choices for how to put your family information online for others to find, well beyond what was available[...]

Courses starting & Workshops

THIS COURSE IS NOW FULL. If you would like to add your name to the waiting list, please send a request to courses@torontofamilyhistory.org with “Hands-On Ancestry.ca Library Edition” in the Subject line. If any of[...]

Lecture Title: Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis It is often the case in family history research that our ancestors’ lives were best documented when the chips were truly down. We may have[...]

This full day workshop is jointly sponsored by the Canadiana Department at the North York Central Library and the Toronto Branch, Ontario Genealogical Society. If you have Irish ancestors who lived in the nine counties[...]

This course is on 3 Wednesdays: September 30, October 28, and November 25, 2015. No registration required. It is jointly sponsored by the Humanities and Social Science Department at the Toronto Reference Library and Toronto[...]

Other Events

JOIN US FOR THE 5TH ANNUAL TORONTO HISTORY LECTURE. Returned Men: Toronto’s Veterans in the Great War’s Aftermath Speaker: Jonathan Scotland During the four-year centenary of the First World War, we are encouraged to commemorate[...]

Toronto Branch will welcome hundreds of family historians to the largest genealogical conference in Canada. The event will be based at the International Plaza Hotel, close to Pearson International Airport, Highway 401, and with good[...]

Did you know?

That Toronto Branch OGS has more than 600 members? That members get a discount on publications, and course and workshop registration fees? And that Toronto Branch belongs to the Federation of Genealogical Societies, which means our members can also subscribe to findmypast.com and purchase Dell computer products at special rates?

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